Only In Dreams
by plasticgirl
Summary: Spike wakes up in a hospital. Takes place after the end of the series. More chapters to come!
1. Session 1: In The Lost And Found

Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop, but if I did, I would make Spike marry me, because damn that man is sexy. ^_~  
  
A/N: This is my first Cowboy Bebop fanfiction. I've tried to write a fanfic for this anime before, but I just have no patience for this sort of thing. I've read a lot of stories that continue the plot after the last episode, but this is my version. I only have this chapter, so for me to continue, I need reviews! What's the point of keeping a story going if no one likes it? I do have ideas of where I want to take this, so please don't think I'm just winging this whole thing. If you're wondering where I got my ideas, ironically, they came from a dream I had last night! Yup. I just couldn't get the damn thing out of my head, so I thought I'd actually turn my insanity into something productive. The name of the story, "Only in Dreams", is a Weezer song. The title of this session "In The And Found" is an Elliott Smith song. If you didn't know, all the sessions in Cowboy Bebop are named after song titles, so I thought it only wise to continue the tradition. If you don't know these songs, you should download them since they kick serious ass. Well, enough of my babbling, on with the story!  
  
*  
  
Only In Dreams  
  
Session #1 - In The Lost And Found  
  
*  
  
i His eyes opened lazily to find the green fan above him moving slowly. His blurry vision cleared and he instantly knew where he was, but how he got here was a mystery. He glanced down to see his body covered, yet again, in bandages. He tired to move his head, but found he couldn't. Using all his strength, he finally got his head to move a little to the left.   
  
/i Damn, my head feels like it weighs a ton. i He saw her there, playing cards again, no doubt. She looked up from her game and got up. He watched her long legs stroll over to where he lay. She bent down and looked deep into his eyes. She leaned in closer and put her mouth right next to his ear, then whispered, "It's time to start being alive again."  
  
*  
  
Spike's eyes shot open. He sat up quickly in bed to find that his whole body ached. He then looked around to see where he was. The bed and beeping of the monitor told him he was in the hospital. Nurses walked past the open door, he wanted to yell to ask what the hell was going on, but decided against it. He just wanted a smoke.   
  
To the right, Spike saw a small table next to him. There lied his beaten up pack of his cigarettes and a pack of matches. Slowly, he reached out to grab them, the ache in his body making him move slower. Finally he was able to grab the pack and he put a cigarette up to his lips and let it hang there as he lit it. He breathed in the smoke and let it out of his lungs through his nose.  
  
A nurse walked through the door, not looking at anything, but her clipboard. She glanced up and smiled, "Mr. Spiegal, you're finally up." The smoke danced around him and she walked over to him to sharply take the cigarette out of his mouth and put it out in the ashtray, "No smoking in the hospital, please." Spike watched her make some notes on her clipboard. The ash taste in his mouth left him craving for another cigarette and he started to get out of the bed to only have to stand right in front of him. The nurse hugged the clipboard to her chest and looked straightly at him, "You're not going anywhere. You haven't walked in a while and I don't need you collapsing to the floor."  
  
Spike scowled, "Listen," he looked at her nametag, "Farah. If you're not going to let me smoke in here, then at least let me go outside."   
  
Farah smiled, "And risk you catching a cold? I don't think so. If you haven't noticed, it's snowing outside. So, if you would just please just get back in bed and under your covers, I'll go get your doctor." With that she left and Spike swung his legs back over and into the bed, only to have the aching pain in his chest rise again as he settled back into bed.  
  
Looking up at white ceiling tiles, only to close his eyes as the pain dulled, Spike could almost hear singing in the background. The sounds of her sweet voice flooded his ears. He smiled to his self and let the tune lull him to sleep.  
  
*  
  
She laid back in the yellow couch. Faye's arms hung over the back of the seat and her legs were crossed her front of her. She rested her head on the back of the seat and starred at the ceiling. Faintly, the sound of Ed's keyboard strummed in the background. Faye couldn't remember when that girl had come back, but it was all the same to her. The BeBop was just as quite and no one tried to even break the silence. Not since he left.  
  
Jet walked next to the couch and looked at Faye. For a moment he didn't want to say anything to her, like he usually did, but he managed to get one word out, "Dinner." He just stood there, then headed back to the kitchen.  
  
Faye didn't even bother to move. Not like his food was a hit or anything. Besides, most of it would be eaten when Ed got to it. She suddenly felt a hand on her leg. Faye rolled her head to see, of all people, Ed. She rolled her head back, "What is it now, Ed?"  
  
The young girl tilted her head slightly, "Ed want to know if you're going to come or not. Dinner was ready hour ago and Jet-person say food getting coooooold."  
  
Suddenly Faye's whole body tensed. Had she really been just sitting there starring off into space for an hour? She slowly got off of the couch and headed toward her room. "Tell Jet I'm not in the food for his fabulous cooking tonight," She called behind her.  
  
Ein looked up at Ed and she just shrugged, "Ed think Faye-Faye still sad over Spike-person."  
  
Jet, who leaned against the hallway walls in the shadows, looked down closing his eyes, "Come on, Ed, you can have Faye's food."  
  
Ed jumped and dashed through the hallway waving her arms. Ein ran in tow after the excited Ed, leaving Jet now starring the hallway leading to Faye's room.  
  
*  
  
Spike woke up to find a doctor leering over him, "Hello there. It's nice to finally meet you. I've been your doctor for about three months now. My name is Dr. Kazuma. And how are we doing after our little nap?"   
  
The doctor pulled back Spike's eyelids and shined a light in them. Spike turned his head away, "Mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"  
  
Dr. Kazuma made some notes on his clipboard and then looked back at Spike, "I'm not surprised you have no idea what's going on. You've been in a coma for three whole months. Hence why your body aches so much, you actually might need physical therapy for that. Tell me, do you know what your name is?"  
  
Spike looked at him quizzically. "Spike. Spike Spiegal. Wait, I've been in a coma for /i long??!"  
  
The doctor took some more notes, "And can you tell me how you got in this condition?"  
  
"Yeah, I....," Spike's face went blank. How /i he get there? "I- I don't remember."  
  
Again, more notes, "Mmm-humm... the syndicate brought you in, Mr. Spiegal. Yes, the syndicate does have a hospital branch. A lot of things have changed since you left. According to what they've told me you've killed Vicious. Someone who was sentenced to death by the Red Dragons and escaped. You've done them a favor and it's only right that they do the same for you."  
  
Everything came back to him in that instant. Spike tensed, making his body ache again. Flashes of Julia and Vicious raced his mind. Their last moments and deaths filled his mind. He tried closing his eyes to make it all go away, but they still were there. The pain, the loss, the anguish... he couldn't escape it.  
  
Looking strangly at him, Dr. Kazuma asked, "Mr. Spiegal, are you all right?"  
  
Spike then threw his numb legs over the side of the bed and leaned on the bars to try and stand. He took one step and fell to the cold tile floor. The man in the white coat rushed to his side, "I told you you're going to need physical therapy before you can walk on your own again."  
  
Without even bothing to listen, Spike tried again to get up on his own. His vision began to get blurry and he could hear faint voices in the background before everything around him went black from the pain.  
  
*  
  
Waking up from her nap, Faye reached behind her to grab a pack of cigarettes. She grabbed Spike's lighter from under her pillow and starred at it for a moment before lighting her cigarette. She slid the lighter back under her pillow and breathed in the smoke. Thoughts of the past were beginning to race her mind until she heard a knock on the door. Still laying there, she shouted, "What?"  
  
In walked Jet. He paused for a moment, like he usually did before speaking to her and stated, "You have to eat you know."  
  
She turned away from him, "I don't have to do anything."  
  
Jet sighed, "Faye, don't do this to yourself."  
  
Faye snapped at him, "Don't do what? Care that he's gone? You've hardly said a word to me since he left and now you want a conversation about what I should be doing and feeling? I don't think so, Jet."  
  
He turned around and headed for the hallway. Before he closed the door behind him, he said, "I hid some food in the fridge from Ed. When you've decided to stop being a baby and eat, it'll be there for you."  
  
Faye felt like crying, but she never did. She hasn't since that fateful day. That was the only time she could remember crying since she has woken up from her cryogenic sleep. Crying wasn't her thing, but when the memories came back and she finally realized the only place she had now what the Bebop, to have him leave was just too much for her. Inhailing the last of her cigarette, she put it out in the ashtray. She wouldn't give herself the satisfaction of crying again. That would be too easy. Instead she slinked out of bed and to her bedroom door.  
  
*  
  
Spike woke up to a pounding headache. /i, was the only thing he could think. Not only was Julia dead and he wasn't, but Spike now was stuck in a bed in some hospital somewhere. Spike ached all over his body, but most of all, he ached for a cigarette. He looked to the left to see that his pack of smokes and matches were gone. "Perfect," he said to no one, but himself.  
  
The same nurse from before walked in his room again. This time she had a wheelchair instead of a clipboard. "I see you're up again," She beamed with a smile that only nurses had, "You had a nasty fall. I can see you're ready to get out of here though, so I assume you'll do the right thing and have some physical therapy before trying to walk again."  
  
He scoffed and swung his legs over the bed again for the third time that day. Only this time Farah helped him into the wheelchair instead of trying to keep him in bed.  
  
*  
  
Ed watched Jet leave Faye's room and enter the living room. Ed put a finger on his chin, "Jet-person tell Faye-Faye 'bout Spike-person?"   
  
He put his hands in his pockets and looked away from the young girl's eyes, "No. Every time I finally get the courage, I can't help but back down at the last second. I don't know how she'll react and that's what scares me." Jet sat down in the orange chair and leaned his head on the back of it. "What if she goes looking for him? We only just recently found out where he is and even I don't want to see him. Knowing Faye she'll drag him by that green head of his all the way back here and I just don't think I'm ready for that. Spike will come back if he wants to and that's the only time I'll be able to respect his return."  
  
Ein whimpered at Jet's feet, "Don't give me that."  
  
"Ed misses Spike-person too. Can't we just take a peak at Spike-person?"  
  
Jet crossed his arms, "No. I told you the moment that you found out Spike was alive on that computer of yours that we were not to go see him. In his own time." He got up and headed down the hall way, whispering behind him to no one in particular, "In his own time..."  
  
  
  
*  
  
Holding the doorknob in her hand, Faye just stood there behind her door. She didn't hear much of their conversation, but from what she did hear, Spike was alive. She cracked open her door and saw that Jet had walked off somewhere. iProbably tending to his precious bamboo trees, no doubt,/i Faye thought as she slowly opened up her door.  
  
Ed was just standing there watching Jet walk away when she felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her backward. "Faye-Faye!" Ed yelled.  
  
Faye quickly put her hand over Ed's mouth, "Quite. You want Jet to come back in here. He needs his alone time too, ya know." Then Faye began to drag Ed to where that little hacker's computer was. "Now, you're going to find Spike for me if it's the last thing you do or next time we have dinner, Ein is going to be it."  
  
The red head gulped and put on her green goggles in preparation to find Spike once again, "Faye-Faye seeks the lost Spike-person. Where oh-where can he beeee?" Ed smiled as she found what she was looking for, "Ed find Spike-person in secret Red Dragon hospital on Mars. They keep him in roooooom... 182!" Ed turned to look at her crazed shipmate only to find her already gone.  
  
*  
  
A/N: Yay! That's all for now. Remember to review and such! ^_^ 


	2. Session 2: The Dim Entrance

Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop, but I do own Farah and Dr. Kazuma, so I don't suggest stealing them anytime soon.  
  
A/N: Well, I'm trying to get the ball rolling so I can get to the part that has my dream in it. Question, can someone help me figure out how to italicize things? Every time I upload a story I get this "i" instead of what I want italicized. Damn FF.net. The title of this session is from a song by The Good Life. They're a pretty good band, I suggest checking them out. Now, on with the fic!  
  
*  
  
Only In Dreams  
  
Session #2 - A Dim Entrance  
  
*  
  
Spike laid back down from the work he had just done. His bones seemed to ache to no end, but he knew this was the only way if he wanted to get back on his feet anytime soon. Farah made more notes on that damn clipboard of hers. He groaned as he settled into the uncomfortable bed. Farah looked up and smiled, "How would you like some morphine for that pain?"  
  
He laughed, "That would be nice." She turned a knob on the IV and he watched as the clear liquid dripped into the tubes. The nurse put the end of the IV into a vein on his hand. Spike winced a little. After all, he was only human.  
  
The blonde nurse went back to taking more notes and Spike felt his vision get blurry. She glanced up at him and he smiled, "How about some sug-ah too?" Then he leaned over and slapped her ass.   
  
Farah's eyes got wide and she giggled, "Looks like a little too much morphine." And she started turning the knob again. His vision began to dim, black faded in and out, until he feel sound asleep.  
  
*  
  
Faye slid back the round door to get to the hanger where her ship was. She ran through the door, almost tripping herself. iThis is no time to get clumsy,/i she reminded herself. She turned around and slid the door back into place. Faye froze when she looked back to see Jet was standing there with a cigarette in his hand.  
  
Jet put his head down and closed his eyes, then dropped his cigarette and put it out with his shoe. "Going somewhere, Faye?"  
  
Scowling, Faye stepped forward and raised a fist, "How could you not tell me he was alive? Did you just expect me to wait around until he came back or were you hoping he wouldn't and I would be left in the dark?"  
  
Finally looking at her, Jet frowned, "I knew you were going to react just like this, that's why I didn't tell you. The last thing I wanted was you running off to some syndicate hospital and get yourself killed before even walking in the door. Did you even bother to think this thing through, Faye? Or were you just planning to storm in and hope everything works out in the end?"  
  
She flinched and looked away from him. Jet looked up. "Hmpf, you and Spike deserve each other," He threw up his hands, "Everyone's got a death wish these days."  
  
Smiling and putting her hands together with a gleam in her eyes, Faye squealed, "You're going to let me go?"  
  
The bald man laughed, "Of course not, I don't need two crew members in the hospital. Not to mention, we're not even paying for Spike's. Do you think woolongs grow on trees these days?"  
  
Faye crossed her arms and looked away, yet again. Jet walked past her with his hands in his pockets looking down. Before opening the door he said, "And don't even think about leaving, Faye. Not that you could, I unplugged your fuel line."  
  
She turned around sharply and was going to yell an insult when the door slammed on her face, "Hmpf. Who needs you anyway."  
  
*  
  
Looking up, a blonde angel was leaning over him smiling. Spike smiled back and whispered, "Julia."  
  
Farah blinked, "Who's Julia?"  
  
His eyes began to focus and he realized that Julia began to look a lot like this nurse from some hospital. His angel began to speak, but her voice didn't sound like it usually did, "Mr. Spiegal?"  
  
Why was she calling him that? Before he knew it, the image of Julia completely disappeared and there was that nurse, Farah. He moaned and closed his eyes again. She was right there, what happened? Then Spike remembered again that she was dead and he wouldn't be waking up her to smile anymore. That sweet, sweet smile.  
  
"Looks like you're still in between worlds after that morphine," giggled the nurse as she hugged the clipboard to her chest. At least she wasn't writing anymore. Damn, that could get annoying. And like a fucking mind reader she began to take notes on that clipboard again, "Are you ready for another physical training session? I know how anxious you are you get out of this bed and become the new leader of the Red Dragons."  
  
Spike eyes flew open and he shot up in the bed, "WHAT???!!"  
  
Farah stood their surprised, "You didn't know?" She put a finger on her chin, "I guess I shouldn't have been the one to tell you."  
  
The now angered green haired man put his face in his palm. "This is stupid," He mumbled to himself. Without hesitation he flung his legs over the bed and began to try and stand.  
  
The blonde nurse grabbed his arm, "Exactly what do you think you're doing?? You know you can't walk. I saw you at the training session and you weren't very good, might I add."  
  
She received a growl from Spike for that comment, "I don't care what you think. I am not going to be hounded into being the leader of some mafia group that I died trying to escape from."  
  
With wobbly legs, he headed for the door. Farah stood up straight, "Wow, you're not doing half bad."  
  
Just at that moment Spike stumbled. He caught himself by grabbing on to the doorway. Sweat beaded off of his forehead and he gathered up all of his strength for his next stunt. Before the nurse could call for help, Spike began running as fast as he could. It hurt like hell, but the pain was going to be more unbearable if he had to spend one more damn in this damn hospital.  
  
People outside all turned their heads to see a man bursting out of the hospital. Still wearing his gown, no doubt. Most began to go back to what they were doing as Spike headed for the parking lot in the snow barefoot. His legs left numb and he knew if he stopped running now, he wasn't going to be able to get far. With the last of his energy, he found the Swordfish II parked in the back of the lot. It was pretty wreaked, but Spike drove it in worse condition before. He lifted the door and jumped in the seat. After slamming the door back down Spike breathed a sigh of relief. But he wasn't out of the woods yet, he heard shouting and looked through the glass to see a bunch of doctors pointing over in his direction.  
  
"Damnit," Spike cursed and began searching madly for the key he usually hid in here. He reached under the seat and found the thing he was looking for. "Bingo!" And with that, he was off into the sky. He looked down to see people yelling and waving their fists up at him, but all Spike could do was smile as he lifted a cigarette to his mouth and headed off into space.  
  
*  
  
The purple haired beauty lounging on the couch breathed in another drag from her almost dead cigarette. The green eyed girl starred off into nothing and only wished she was thinking about nothing. But the only thing that she could do was let images of him flood her mind. His back as he walked away from her and the round that she fired off into the ceiling in a desperate plea for him to just stay, this once. He didn't and now he was out there in a hospital somewhere probably glad as hell he didn't have to be on a ship with a annoying dog, some crazed hacker kid, and a woman who just couldn't get rid of her attitude.   
  
Why did it always have to feel like this? Like this was just some dream and when she awoke Spike would be leering over her telling her to get her drunk ass up so they could find some bounty and actually have food in this damn ship. Faye smiled at the thought, "What a fool am I."  
  
The tiredness in her body made her groan when she reached over for the bottle of vodka on the table in front of her. Jet and Ed went to get some food with the money from the last bounty they caught. This, of course, was before she found out Spike was still alive. "Otherwise I would of forgotten about that damn thief and went after my..." she was about to say something more to herself, when she remembered that he wasn't her anything. Never was, never will be. "Even if that bastard is still alive."  
  
Taking another swig, she could feel herself losing control from the liquor. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes. That's when she felt someone sit next to her. Faye winced, "I'm really not in the mood for one of your lectures, Jet. If I feel like I'm going to pass out, I'll go to my room so Ed's virgin eyes won't see, all right?"  
  
"All right, but you have to promise to stop talking to yourself," said a voice she wasn't expecting. Her eyes quickly snapped open and she sat up to look at the one man she did not want to see right now. Spike smiled at her surprise, "Miss me?"  
  
Faye jumped out of the couch and quickly stumbled backwards, "Wh-when in the hell did you get here?" She saw stars from the sudden movement and felt herself about to black out. Slipping, she started to fall for the cold, hard floor when she felt strong arms grab her from behind.  
  
"Drunk as a skunk again, Princess?" He could smell the vodka on her breath and also saw that the bottle was almost empty, knowing she had drunk the whole thing by herself.  
  
Normally she would make a snappy comment, but she couldn't clear her head. Faye smiled and with her vision looked at the fuzzy haired man that was the only thing keeping her from getting a nasty bump on her head, "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker."  
  
Spike chuckled to himself, "Let's get you to somewhere that doesn't require me using the only strength I have left."  
  
*  
  
Jet walked in with a grocery bag in each hand to find Spike just sitting there with his legs crossed and sitting on the table like he hadn't been gone a day. He was flipping through the channels on their tiny TV, "So, what happened to Big Shot?"  
  
Ed flew by Jet as he just stood there. The teenage girl jumped on Spike, hugging him, "Spike-person back from Dragon Hospital!"  
  
Spike sat there for a moment with his hand on the back of his head, "Looks like you've gotten bigger since I've left." Ed gave a big grin then dashed off to put the food she had dropped in the kitchen.   
  
Still not moving an inch was Jet, he closed his eyes, "Well, don't just stand there. There's another bag in the hanger." With that, he walked off to join the red head in the kitchen.   
  
Closing his eyes, Spike just looked down, and smiled, "Something's never change." He still sat there and when he opened his eyes he saw the bottle of vodka that was still there from when Faye had decided to have a party by herself. Grabbing it, he took a swig and let the clear liquid burn as it slid down his throat.   
  
"That's still mine, ya know." He looked up from the bottle to see a semi-drunk Faye leaning her shoulder on the wall in the hallway.  
  
"Up so soon? You've only been passed out for an hour," He looked her up and down. "And from what I can tell, you're still out of it."  
  
Her short, purple hair was now messed up and she just scoffed, "I've been worse."  
  
"Like earlier?"  
  
Faye shot him a glare and then leaned her back against the wall, "Mind telling me what the hell you're doing back here? Remember, you're supposed to be dead." She almost spat the last word and that gave Spike a hard look on his face.  
  
He quickly wiped the scowl off his face and went back to lounging on the couch, "No one ever said I couldn't come back. Besides, Faye, I thought you'd be happy to see me. After all, you were so intent on not having me leave."  
  
The memory of her standing in the hallway yelling at him to stay flashed through her mind. Faye quickly erased the thought, "I-I just didn't want Jet to lose his comrade. Is that so wrong?"  
  
Chuckling to himself, he finally looked away from her, "Whatever you say, Romaine."  
  
Before Faye could snap back with an angry comment, the words "Thirty Million Woolongs" were heard over the TV that was playing the news. She dashed over to see who was worth such a hefty bounty. Then the news announcer began to speak again.  
  
"You heard right folks. This man is worth one of the highest bounties ever. He was just revealed as the creator and top dealer of a new popular drug with the street name 'Sandman's dust'. The drug started out as a new medication for patients with extreme insomnia. Somehow, Mr. Eikichi got a hold of the prescription and tweaked it so when injected into your blood stream, you would be left in a dream like state. Where you can't tell the real world from the dream world and could be left there for days if the dosage was high enough. Not much is known about the drug, because of it's rarity. The substance is highly addictive and if offered this drug we suggest you turn it down immediately. The drug is currently rivaling 'Red Eye' as the main predecessor of drugs. In other news-" The TV was then switched off.  
  
"Looks like we have a new bounty to catch," Spike announced.  
  
Faye raised up a fist in anger, "Oh, so you're back for a little over an hour and you think you can just jump back in the sattle of catching bounties again? I don't think so, fro boy. I've been catching all the bounties lately and no way are you coming back to steal woolongs from me."  
  
Standing up, he put his hands in his pockets and headed to the hanger to get the groceries that Jet told him to get, "Last time I checked, Faye, you were the one stealing woolongs from us."  
  
She just scowled as he disappeared from view.  
  
*  
  
A/N: That's all for now. I'm sort of leading into something here, but I don't know where I want to go from there. Reviews would be nice. :D 


	3. Session 3: Lack of Communication

Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop. But if I did, do you seriously think I'd be posting fanfiction on a website as lame as this? ^_~  
  
A/N: Sorry that it took so long for me to update. I went on vacation for two weeks, then when I came back I completely forgot that I still had to finish it. Don't feel bad, I forget a lot of things. I've also had a bad writers block that I'm trying to get over. The more and more I get into this story, the more and more I wonder how I'm going to get from one idea to the next. Bare with me here, people. And just in case you didn't know, this fanfic takes place after the last session on Cowboy Bebop and I put a few references in here about session twenty six. If you haven't seen it, you might be a little confused. Hell, I wouldn't even be reading this. Also, thanks for the reviews. They actually want to make me write more, which is something I usually get too lazy to do. Oh, another note, the song for this Lession is by The Von Bondies. Very kick ass song, maybe you should listen to it turning to fight scenes. ;)  
  
*  
  
Only in Dreams  
  
Session #3 - Lack Of Communication  
  
*  
  
Jet sat there contemplating this, "I don't know, guys, for such a hefty bounty, he must be dangerous."  
  
Spike just smiled and leaned on the railing, "Which is exactly why we should go after him."  
  
"Still have that death wish, Spike?" Faye asked without thinking. She didn't regret it, but it was mostly the anger she still had that made her say it.  
  
"What's wrong, Faye? Just a second ago you were all gun-ho about this. Saying I was stealing your reward."  
  
"Exactly. You would be. But I'm not recovering from a three month coma. You don't think I see you hobbling around the ship?"  
  
That just made the bounty hunter smirk, "I can handle myself just fine, thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I think Ed has found a picture of this guy."  
  
Ed turned around with that huge grin on his face, "Ed have picture. Come lookseeeeee!" She turned the monitor facing Jet who was sitting on the couch as the red head was sitting on the table with her computer. Faye went over to sit next to Jet to get a better look and Spike just leaned over the railing behind the couch. There on the screen was a picture of a black haired man with the name 'Xander Thomas' underneath the head shot.  
  
Faye leaned in closer, "What a cutie. Too bad I have to take him down."  
  
Behind her she heard a scoff, "That's what you think, Faye. I'll have this guy in custody with in a matter of hours."  
  
She turned around and was about to yell at him, when Jet interrupted, "Guys, that last thing I want is a brawl over who will catch this bounty. You either work together or you don't work at all. And don't think for a second that I won't kick you off of my ship." With that he got up and left to go to the control room.  
  
The purple haired woman scowled at Spike and then headed to her room for her gun.  
  
He just turned around with his hands in his pockets to follow the bald man to the control room, "Women..."  
  
Sitting there on the table with a confused expression on her face was Ed. She looked down at Ein and shrugged.  
  
*  
  
Spike walked in to see Jet already at the controls to redirect their course to Mars. Without even bothering to stop what he was doing, Jet asked, "Are you sure you wanna go back their so soon? You know the people at the hospital must be looking for you. I sure know that it was bitch finding you. What did they want with you anyway?"  
  
He looked confused for a moment that Jet would care so much, but he just smiled, "You don't wanna know. Let's just get there and get back. You know how much I love your cooking."  
  
Jet sort of chuckled, but before he Spike could leave he said with some concern in his voice, "Be careful with what you say to Faye. I know you'd like to think that you have little effect on her, but you did more damage then you realize. It was me who had to put that drunk back together and the last thing I need is you tearing her apart again."  
  
Standing there for a moment to think about things, Spike began to walk again. Slower this time. iI wonder what the hell that was all about./i  
  
*  
  
Sighing, Faye laid down on her bed. Recent events were running through her mind and she knew only one cure for that. Reaching under her pillow she pulled out a flask and took a large swig of the alcohol inside of it. She couldn't remember what it was exactly, but it tasted a like bourbon. The only thing that could top this off was a cigarette. Propping herself up on her headboard like thing, she reached back for her pack of smokes. Sliding her hand underneath her pillow, she went for Spike's lighter... only to find it gone. She flinched and heard a voice at her door, "Looking for this?"  
  
Twirling around, Faye saw Spike there holding up his lighter, "And you said you didn't miss me."  
  
Faye growled, "So, what? I needed a lighter and yours was the only one I could find. I didn't think you'd be needing it anytime soon." He took out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket.  
  
Smirking, he put one up to his mouth, "Oh, Faye, how sweet, but why don't you tell me what you're really thinking."  
  
"What? Do you think that I'm just going to bear all my feelings to someone like you? Fat chance."   
  
Spike took that moment to light the cigarette still dangling from his lips. He breathed in and then watched the smoke spill from his mouth. "Great, then I won't have to waste anytime on that. Just tell me what the hell's going on, so I don't have to dance around you like Jet is making it seem like."  
  
"Jet said you have to dance around my feelings?"  
  
"Says you were really heartbroken." Faye was about to yell back when Spike interrupted her, "And don't tell me that you were just sad because you were missing a shipmate or something. Jet never said anything about you being torn up after Ed left. Then again, it was nice to hear silence once in a while."  
  
Glaring at him, Faye fired back, "Fuck you, Spike. I never gave a shit when you left and I still don't give a shit about you now that you're still alive." She was lying, but she only hoped that he couldn't tell. "What did you expect when you came in here? A drunk Faye talking about her love for you and how she wished you would love her the same way you loved Julia. Get over yourself, Spike. I don't love you and I sure as hell don't want to be anything like Julia." Faye spat her name, which she could tell pissed Spike off more then she intended it to.   
  
Instead of putting a gun to her head like she thought he would, he just looked down, then slowly closed the door behind him as he left. Faye thought about going after him, but just for a second. Later, she didn't even remember that she thought about doing it when she was drunk and passing out mumbling something about a cigarette.  
  
*  
  
A few hours later, the BeBop was successfully docked in the water on Mars. Spike got some addresses of known dealers from Ed before leaving. It was easy to get out without Faye noticing since she was passed out on her bed. He was heading for the first address on his list when he couldn't help but notice Red Dragon Headquarters off in the distance. Taking a sharp right, he went straight for the top of building.   
  
He landed and jumped out of his ship. Blood stained the concrete blow him. From what he could tell, they had moved to another headquarters and just left everything as it was. They probably wanted the ISSP to think that both him and Vicious were dead. Which in a way, would be his second death. Spike had to smile at that. No one would believe the many times he escaped death. He remembers how Jet would joke that Spike was a cat with his nine lives. All Spike wanted to know was when this stray cat was going to finally meet his white cat in the afterlife. He also wanted to know why he wasn't dead like the story goes on to say. Maybe, in a way, he already was. Spike sure as hell left like it.   
  
Julia had been haunting him ever since he awoke a few days ago. He could of sworn he heard her humming this morning. Spike half expected to see himself wrapped in bandages and her leaning over him smiling like she used to. Damn, that smile always made his heart skip a beat. He felt stupid for having such school boy feelings for her back then, but he soon began to accept it. After all, it was his first love. His only love. Pain stung his heart. How could he ever love again after knowing someone like Julia? It didn't seem possible.  
  
After standing there for what seemed like forever, he hopped back into the Swordfish II. He had to get down to business before Faye awoke from her drunken sleep. Who knows how long that lasted these days.  
  
*  
  
Rolling over and she felt the pounding headache start to grow. iA hangover, great./i She rarely got these, but when she did, they were bad. iMaybe Spike can make that infamous hangover drink... Spike!/i All of a sudden she remembered what they were supposed to do today. They were supposed to find that damn bounty and she had the worst headache.  
  
Stumbling out of bed as quickly as she could, Faye practically ran for the shower. That way she could wake up quicker and puke if need be. Her hangover wasn't as bad as usual she found. Luckily her flask wasn't even half full, not enough to do too bad of damage, but enough where she was too drunk to care when it was gone. How the liquor in the year 2071 seemed so much better. Not that she drank when she lived all those years ago, but she did go to some parties occasionally.   
  
Faye winced loudly when she started to think of what she liked to refer to as "her past life". Faye had become such a different person since then that she almost felt like that girl she used to be was someone that she read about or watched on TV one time when she had nothing better to do. Pain would strike her heart when she thought of those days. The innocence and happiness she once felt then, she knew she could never feel again. And that saddened her heart more then anyone could ever know.  
  
Before she knew it, her shower was over and the now soaked purple haired beauty had to get some clothes on and get out of this hell-hole called a ship quickly enough to find her precious bounty before fro boy did. God knows how far along he was already....  
  
*  
  
Looking up from the paper to the building, he sighed. This was his fourth address on the paper. Not that he hating kicking ass, but the last thing he needed was the ISSP out looking for some maniac going around beating up random people. Well, drug dealers actually. So, maybe they wouldn't care that much. But the less attention to him, the better. As far as Spike knew, most thought him for dead. That is, everyone but the Red Dragons. And that was one of the last things he wanted to think about just then.  
  
He casually went up to the door and knocked loudly three times. Some scroungy looking guy pulled back the door a little to see who was making all the noise. There stood Spike with a sly grin on his face, "Is a Mr...," Spike looked at the paper once again, "Gary Allen there?"  
  
The man glared at him, "Who wants to know?"  
  
"Just an old friend looking for some information on Xander Thomas." The door was almost shut in front of his face when Spike put his foot in the way. "Now, that's not very nice to do to an old friend."  
  
Spike quickly snapped his foot up and kicked the man right in his chin. His head few back and the door was let go. The man had stumbled back enough for Spike to get his way in and hit in man in the face just as the man was about to straighten himself out. He fell backwards and onto the floor.  
  
The green haired man leaned over the man he put on the floor who now had a bloody nose, "I'm going to assume your Gary."  
  
Before Gary could reply, Spike heard the click of a gun. He looked up to see a young woman pointing a glock right into his face, "You better get out of here right now, if you know what's good for ya."  
  
Doing that sly grin of his again, Spike reached up before she knew what was happening and grabbed her gun to point it back at her. She stood frozen. "You must be Olivia Allen. I noticed that both of you turned in together equal quite a big bounty, maybe I'll turn you in and find out what I want at the same time," Spike moved the gun from her face to Gary's. "Sound good to you?"  
  
*  
  
Faye came up empty handed again. As she left her third house for that afternoon, she sighed. Both of the places were already hit by Spike from what she could tell. Mostly from the already beaten up drug dealers scattered throughout the place. Spike hadn't found the bounty yet, otherwise he would have told her through their communicator. Or maybe he just wants her to search for nothing as he reaps all the befits back on the BeBop. Faye clenched the paper in her hand and grinded her teeth. iThat bastard/i, was all she could think.  
  
She walked through the alleyway. Her ship parked somewhere else since this place couldn't be reached with that huge ship of hers. Faye closed in on the location to see the door already open. iDamn, that Spike. Has he already been here too?/i  
  
With a closer look she could see the figure of Spike pointing a gun at someone on the floor and a woman in front of him. A pang of jealously struck her heart, even though she knew all the situations running through her head were wrong. For a second she almost wanted to leave him, but she didn't want him hogging all the glory.  
  
Leaning against the railing on the door, Faye heard Spike speak for a moment, "Sound good to you?" Faye wondered for a moment what the hell sounded so good, but thought it better to ask then just stand here like an idiot.  
  
"And exactly what would that be?" Spike whirled around to point the gun at her. Faye didn't even flinch. Before Spike could say some smart ass comment, the guy behind him got off the floor and was about to put a bullet in his back. Faye gasped, "Spike, watch out!"  
  
But before she even finished her sentence, a fist was in the guys face. Again, the guy was down for the count. The girl didn't even bother to help the guy as she went to grab her gun from him to do what he couldn't. A shot rang out.  
  
*  
  
A/N: OOOOOOOOH! Who got shot? What's happening??? I guess you're going to have to just guess while I work on the fourth chapter. I know you're all just /i to find out. :P 


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